Electric contact



(No Model.)

0. J. DEPP.

ELECTRIC CONTACT.

No. 449,348. Patented Ma.1.31,1&91.

d. HI)\ H. "R,

UNTTED STATES PATENT VEtnici;

O'IIS J. DEPP, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

ELECTRIC CONTACT.

.SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,348, dated March 31, 1891.

4 Application led January' 24. 1891.

To all whom, it may concern: i

Be it known that I, OTIs J. DEPP, of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-Contact Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to improvements in an electric-contact device; and it consists in the novel arrangement and combination of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter described, and designated in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of my invention as applied to the switch-barrel of the Sprague electric-switch system, and also shows a diagrammatic view of the successive connection between the contact-plates. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of my complete invention, and Fig. 3 is avertical longitudinal section of thesame.

'The object of my invention is to construct an electric-contact device to be used, preferably, in forming contact with a rotating or revolving cylinder kor barrel provided with contact-plates, and also to make such a connection as to deflect the electric current between the parts to be thrown in electrical communication, thereby preventing the current from flowing through the delicate parts of the device and rendering them useless.

Referring to the drawings, l indicates, for instance, the switch-barrel as employed in the Sprague system of electric-railway switches. Said barrel is provided with a series of contact-plates 2, which are adapted to come in contact with hinged arm 3 of the electric-contact device. Said plates 2 are electrically connected with a series of wires 4,'leading to different parts or portions of the motor, as is well understood and requires no further elucidation, as thc object of my invention is to cover the electric-contact device.

5 indicates my complete device, which is generally applied, especially in the Sprague system of electric switches, horizontally, as shown in the drawings.

The barrel is operated as indicated by arrows 6, and the contact-pieces 2 are adapted to be brought successively in contact with hinged arm 3, thereby effecting an electric connection successively .between said plates Serial No. 378,937. (No model.)

and the electric-supply wire 7. Said arm 3 is pivotally secured to the other parts of my invention by bolt or rivet 8. This arm may be in the form of an elastic blade rigidly secured at one end to the base-plate of the device, so as to constitute a yielding or flexible arm.

9 indicates the base-plate, which is secured to any suitable support by means of a screw 10, passin through said support into the baseplate, and also by means of another additional screw ll, which assists in holding said plate in a horizontal position relative tothe switchbarrel l. l

l2 indicates a binding-screw by which wirc 7' is secured to the device.

13 indicates a rigid arm, which is secured or formed integrally with the base-plate 9. Said arm is provided with a cylindrical depression or bore, in which is located a spiral spring 14. Mounted upon said spring is an insulating button or plug 15, which plug is always in contact with arm The elasticity of spring 14 impart-s its power to plug 15, and plug l5 to arm 3, and arm 3 .successively imparts its power to contact-plates 2, thereby forming, successively, electric connection between said arm and said plates 2 as the switch-` barrel is rotated or revolved. The length of arm S will prevent it from falling in between contact-plates 2, which is very frequently the case with the ordinary button-contact, thereby preventing the rotation or revolution of said barrel and effecting the desired electric connection. The insulating plug or button l5 will deflect the current and keep it from passing through the spiral spring 1i, which would render it useless, and consequently the current must pass through the base 9, and ultimately through hinged arm 3, before it is transmitted to the contact-plates.

16 indicates a rest which is rigidly secured to base 9, the obj ect of which is to hold hinged arm 3 in a horizontal position relative to the switch-barrel. Said arm also has an additional function .of affording electric connection between base 9 and arm Having fully described the mechanical parts and construction of my device, I will now proceed to describe and trace the direction of the current in forming the desired connection. The current, on emerging from the main supply-wire '7, which is in electric contract with TCO the base t), flows through said base and part. thereof through rest 16;` or, in other Words, the current is transmitted through said base and reaches arm 3, which arm is adapted to be successively thrown in electric contact with contact-pieces 2. The direction of the current is indicated by arrows. Plug 15 is held in its normal position by pressure communicated from the switch-barrel; or, in other words, the distance between the unabraded surface and the external surface of the rigid arn'i 13 is less than the length of said plug. Consequently said plug cannot work out. 18 indicates an additional connecting-wire,

which is electrically connected to base-plate l 9 and arm 3 by means of binding-screws 19.

yHaving fully described myinvention, what I claim isl. An electric-contact device consisting of a base-plate, an arm hinged thereto and adapted for contact with a co-operatng contact, a rigid arm provided with a bore secured to the saine, a spiral spring located in said bore, and an insulating-plug located in the saine and mounted on said spring for detlecting the current and preventing the same from passing through said spring, substantially as set forth.

2. An electric-contact device consisting of a base-plate, an arm hinged thereto, adapted to come in contact with a co-operative contact, a rigid arm provided With a bore, and a resting-plate secured to the same, the latter of which tends to hold said hinged arm in a horizontal position when the device is in functional operation, a spiral spring located in said bore, and an insulating-plug located in the saine and mounted on said spring for delecting the current and preventing the same from passing through said spring, substantially as set forth. n

In testimony whereof I afX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

OTIS J. DEPP. Witnesses: C. F. KELLER, EDWARD EVERETT LoNGAN. 

